Introduction to IAO | International Association for Orthodontics

ABOUT IAO

The headquarters is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin U.S.A.

The International Association for Orthodontics (IAO) was established in the United States in 1961 to promote international cooperation in the orthodontic field of dentistry. The IAO is a progressive and dynamic organization of general dentists, pediatric dentists and other dentists that provide orthodontic care to patients.

The International Association for Orthodontics is the oldest and largest of the national and international non-specialty orthodontic groups. The association has a wide variety of programs in orthodontics training, education, professional support, clinical experience and literature. Today the IAO has thousands of member dentists in over 40 different countries.

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Purpose of the International Association for Orthodontics

To promote the study and disseminate the knowledge of the cause, control, treatment and prevention of malocclusion of the teeth and any possible resulting dysfunction, such as dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint.
To promote an exchange of ideas and experiences based on a biomechanical approach, between the various fields of dentistry related to orthodontics.
To promote the establishment and maintenance of the highest ideals in orthodontic practice, research and development throughout the world for the benefit of all orthodontic patients.
To promote the elimination of professional isolationism in orthodontics and thereby create an atmosphere conducive to harmonious relationships between all dental practitioners in orthodontics.
To strongly support its members in all aspects of their orthodontic practices.

Mission of the International Association for Orthodontics:

In order to reach these goals, the IAO offers orthodontics training in the forms of Orthodontics Courses offered by IAO Certified Instructors, Orthodontic Study Clubs, and the IAO Annual Meeting. Due to the diversity of membership, doctors can find courses taught in multiple orthodontic techniques, philosophies, and languages.

Why is Orthodontic Training for Dentists Important?

Almost every profession has at least one association. Many have them on multiple levels, International, National, State, even regional. This is for good reason. Professional Associations serve several purposes. The International Association for Orthodontics provides these functions for all Dentists practicing orthodontics around the world.

A vital role of the IAO is providing certification opportunities for their members. While the education dentists can receive from several quality sources is sufficient for a licensing board, it may not meet potential patient’s expectations. Said patient might not understand that a dentist can learn and practice orthodontics without graduating from a recognized university. IAO certification can help diminish concerns about required education. A patient can see the tangible recognition bestowed by the world’s largest and oldest non-specialty group.

As with most professional associations, the IAO provides educational opportunities. Members can keep up on the latest techniques, technologies, and orthodontic advancements through the Annual Meeting, Summer Meeting, Professional Advancement and Instructor Seminars, and Online CE Courses.

IAO members can also reference multiple publication recourses to help supplement their orthodontic knowledge. All issues of the International Journal for Orthodontics (IJO), Journal of General Orthodontics (JGO), and the Functional Orthodontist are digitally archived on the IAO website. This is over forty years of journals and over two hundred issues, each one is fully indexed. Members can search for any topic by author, title, subject, or even term. A subject matter’s history can be traced back to its roots with the original research preserved in the pages of the IAO journals.

Professional Associations also provide management benefits. The IAO is no different. Members can save thousands on supplies, equipment, and services through multiple partnerships with industry-leading organizations. These include Partner Payments, JKL Software, and Fox World Travel. The IAO has also produced a commercial promoting GPs practicing orthodontics, which was written so that any member can stream it on their website. The commercial plays right on the site like it was created for that practice and advocates positive reasons why patients should choose GPs that also offer orthodontic treatment. IAO members are listed in the Find A Dentist directory on our website as well. This directory is connected to a YouTube campaign that is pushing thousands of potential patients to the page each month.

Many Associations are formed for a reason that goes beyond personal benefits; they are also a protective entity for all professionals within an industry. This is the hallmark of the IAO. It was founded in 1961 to stand up for and support all dentists practicing orthodontics. Without the IAO, interested parties of competitive orthodontic providers might be able to push dentists out of the ortho industry. The IAO provides a powerful deterrent against this by uniting thousands of professionals with a commonality in a central group. This also makes it much harder for regulatory bodies to ignore the rights of dentists to practice orthodontics.

The IAO is the premier Professional Association for all dentists practicing orthodontics and is here to protect and serve its members.

Check out our orthodontic training for general dentists membership options now.

Introduction to the IAO